CORRUPTED
by pyro1229
Summary: After Piper killed Phoebe, Prue, Paige, and the remaining survivors of the witch massacre must hunt her down and stop her from killing any more... even if it means killing her... are the remaining sisters willing to sacrifice their loved one?
1. Release of Evil

CORRUPTED  
  
Note: Ever since I watched the episode "Sympathy for the Demon", an idea came to me. Remember the part when the sisters were discussing about stripping the fear demon of his powers and giving them back to Cole? Well, remember how Paige argued that it wasn't fair for them to shove the powers back into him, and how Piper and Phoebe thought that only Cole could control it? Well, I sort of took that idea about Cole's powers leaving his body, and making it enter... One of the Charmed Ones! I hope you like this new story.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
-Attic, Manor-  
  
"Are you sure that this is the only way?"  
  
"Well... it's the best that we could come up with," Paige stated.  
  
"Fine, let's just get this over with," Cole muttered.  
  
"Hey, you're making the right choice. You almost killed that old lady today, didn't you?"  
  
"It was an accident! She was... I was... someone's making me hallucinate," Cole snapped.  
  
"Which is exactly the reason why you need to strip these powers. Who knows how many other people you might accidentally hurt. Or worse, actually kill," Paige stated. "Also, you might accidentally hurt Phoebe."  
  
"Fine. Let's just get this over with," Cole muttered flatly.  
  
"That's what you just said, before giving me another regret speech."  
  
"Okay. I get your point," Cole snapped, pulling the cork out of the glass vial. He gulped down the contents in one go. "ARRGGGG..." he screamed, as he collapsed on the ground.  
  
"Oh no! Cole, you alright?" Paige asked worriedly at the writhing Cole.  
  
"Paige? Is that you upstairs?" Piper called out, as she walked in the attic. Seeing Cole on the ground, she approached him. Suddenly, a dark, black mist of evil exited his body, hitting Piper with full force.  
  
"Ahh..." Piper moaned, before she to, collapsed on the ground, holding her head in pain.  
  
Cole sat up wearily, but snapped back to alertness when he saw Piper.  
  
"Oh no," he muttered. "Paige, we've got to get out of here."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Don't argue with me! Just..."  
  
"ARRG!!!" Piper screamed. Her body felt as if it were on fire. Each blazing hot flame, enveloping her. Suffocating her. Then, she gradually ceased to struggle, lying limply on the floor.  
  
"Piper, are you alright?" Paige asked worriedly.  
  
Ignoring Paige, Piper calmly stood up. An energy ball in one hand. Her compassionate and understanding soft brown eyes were replaced by a look of evil and coldness.  
  
"Just fine..." Piper replied sarcastically, before throwing the energy ball at Paige.  
  
In shock, Paige could only stand and watch, as the energy ball flew towards her. Cole quickly tackled the paralysed Paige onto the ground. The energy ball barely missed them, crashing into the pile of junk behind them.  
  
Piper faltered momentarily, some emotion returning to her eyes. Then, the brown eyes turned cold again.  
  
"Until next time," she muttered, while shimmering out. 


	2. Screwing Around

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Notes: Sorry. Got really caught up with homework and tests. The joys of school. Anyways, yeah, I guess a power is sort of neutral, but just for the sake of the story, I'm going to make those powers evil.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
-Attic, Manor-  
  
"Uh..." Paige groaned. Staring Cole in the eyes, she said, "Thanks."  
  
"No problem," he replied with a smile. A genuine smile, filled with kindness and emotion.  
  
"Okay, what just happened there?" Paige asked.  
  
Cole sighed. "I think that she picked up my demonic powers."  
  
"You're kidding right?"  
  
"I wish I were. But she's evil now," Cole stated seriously.  
  
"Great... we're screwed!" Paige snapped.  
  
"Yeah, I mean, I'm trying to be optimistic, but I really can't, and so yeah, we're screwed. Unless you figure out a way to strip her powers without her killing you first."  
  
Paige rolled her eyes in disbelief. "Great," sigh, "We're screwed."  
  
"We're right back to where we started," Cole muttered.  
  
-Underworld-  
  
Piper lay on the ground. Evidence of a struggle surrounded her. Shattered rocks, dead demons, and blazing flames over ruins...  
  
She screamed a tormented cry, before throwing another energy ball at the cavern wall. An explosion ensues, followed by cascading pieces of rocks. Piper held her head in pain, groaning. Once again, the more powerful evil powers surpass her soul. Standing up in one fluid motion, she shimmered out.  
  
-Manor-  
  
"You what?!?" Phoebe demanded.  
  
"I know... I know. I'm sorry. What I did was stupid, reckless, stupid..." Paige apologetically replied.  
  
"We are beyond screwed, you know that?!?" Phoebe snapped.  
  
"Phoebe," Cole interjected, "Paige was only trying to help me. Help innocents. She had no idea that such a thing could happen."  
  
Sigh. "Shut up, Cole."  
  
"Phoebe, he was just tying to help me," Paige said.  
  
"I can't believe this," Phoebe laughed out loud, burying her face in her hands. "Okay, for the record, we're officially screwed. Now, let's find a way to bring her back."  
  
Leo orbed in right then, and was quickly filled up to date about the latest events. He too, was upset at Paige's rash actions, hence, he excused himself and orbed out.  
  
"I'm going to check the book of shadows," Phoebe muttered, before walking out and leaving Paige behind with Cole.  
  
"Don't worry, Paige," Cole said in a concerned tone, "You helped me through my problems. I'll help you through yours." 


	3. Walk Away

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Notes: Thanks, everyone for reviewing. Especially thanks to you, WanabePiper, for constantly supporting my fics.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
-Underworld-  
  
"There you are, Barbus," Piper stated in a cold, steel-like tone.  
  
"Charmed One."  
  
"Ex-Charmed One," Piper replied casually, blowing him up with one of her evil powers.  
  
She shimmered out.  
  
-Underworld, continued-  
  
"You want us to unite together and hold hands?" An angry demon demanded.  
  
"Yes, I want you to stop fighting one another because it's not getting you anywhere. You can skip the holding hands part though. We are powerful enough to take over, yet, you arrogant idiots mess everything up because you're too dense to see past hatred. Sure, hatred is important. It fuels you. But you also need to be smart. Cole was smart, but his love made him foolish. It restrained him from doing anything drastic. It's different now. I'll make sure of it."  
  
"You are a former Charmed One. How do we know whether you're for real."  
  
Explosion. That demon exploded.  
  
"Does that answer your question," Piper asked menacingly.  
  
The remaining demons and warlocks remained silent. "No."  
  
"No worries. I can do it myself," she said sweetly, before vanquishing the entire crowd of demons around her. "And just in case you're wondering about the Charmed Ones, I'll take care of them." Piper wavered slightly. Quickly covering up her falter, she shimmered out.  
  
-P3-  
  
Piper collapsed on the floor, grasping the counter weakly. Then, on shaky legs, she pulled herself up.  
  
"Don't fight me," she whispered. Easing her worn out body on the barstool, she poured herself a glass of wine. "It'll only get us killed."  
  
"Piper!" Someone yelled out.  
  
Whipping around rapidly, she found herself face to face with Leo.  
  
"Oh, it's you," Piper muttered while returning to her drink.  
  
"Um... listen. Honey, we've got to talk."  
  
"No, honey, we don't. Now be smart and walk away," Piper stated flatly.  
  
"Piper..."  
  
"Okay, what part of walk away did you not get?" Piper snapped.  
  
"Piper, this isn't you talking," Leo protested.  
  
"You just won't go away, would you? Fine, take this!" An energy ball appeared in her tense hand. "Final warning, Whitelighter," she whispered icily. The coldness in her voice could freeze the blood flowing through someone's veins.  
  
Leo sighed dejectedly. He orbed out.  
  
Piper extinguished the energy ball by closing her hands.  
  
"Dammit," she swore, and smashed the glass on the floor. "Stop interfering with my plans." The glass bottle in her hand splintered. Alcohol mixed with blood ran down her clenched fist and spilled down her arm, dripping onto the floor. Disgusted, she threw the broken fragments down and shimmered out. 


	4. Vanquishing the Evil

CORRUPTED  
  
Chapter 4  
  
-Manor-  
  
"She wouldn't even listen to me," Leo muttered dejectedly.  
  
"Don't worry. We'll find a way to bring her back. If I know the Halliwells, which I do know, they'll never let a loved one go that easily," Cole said gently.  
  
Leo looked at Cole, surprised. "Thanks."  
  
"Anytime."  
  
-Attic-  
  
"You think the potion would work?" Paige asked.  
  
"Why not? It worked with Cole."  
  
"True... I'm just worried that something might go wrong. But then again, I'm being paranoid. It's going to be tough to force this into her though."  
  
"Well, there's no time like the present. Ready, sis?" Phoebe asked as she positioned four of the crystals for the cage on the ground.  
  
"Ready."  
  
Together, they summoned for their older sister using the "to find a lost sister" spell.  
  
Piper appeared in a swirl of white lights. The moment she materialized, she launched an energy ball at Phoebe and Paige. Without hesitation, the two of them quickly dove out of the way, the energy ball whizzing by harmlessly. Well, maybe not so harmlessly, for the stain glass windows shattered into pieces, raining shards of crystal-like material onto the front porch.  
  
Phoebe quickly levitated and did a spin-kick, hitting Piper's jaw and sending her sprawling onto the floor. Without allowing time for Piper to recover, Phoebe tackled her older sister, pinning her against the ground. Paige then forced the contents in the glass vial down Piper's throat. Piper choked on some of the liquid, causing it to spill out. Fortunately, most of the potion found its way into her throat.  
  
A dark mist appeared, then, disappeared.  
  
"Piper?" Phoebe asked cautiously, easing her force on her sister.  
  
Piper groaned lightly, before sitting up slowly. "I'm... uh, alright. A bit of a headache - hell, one massive headache, but I'm okay." Closing her eyes briefly, a sigh escaped her mouth. "I'm so sorry..." she said remorsefully, avoiding her sisters' eye contact.  
  
"Hey, it's alright, sweetie. We know it's not your fault," Phoebe said gently.  
  
"No! It is! I almost killed you and Paige."  
  
"Like Phoebe said, Piper, it's not your fault. You were under the influence of evil. Don't worry about it now," Paige whispered soothingly.  
  
"I still feel awful though..."  
  
"Okay, no more arguing! Why don't you go and get some rest?" Phoebe suggested.  
  
"Yeah, I think that'll do some good. Hopefully get rid of this massive headache," Piper sighed.  
  
"Come on," Paige said, helping Phoebe support Piper to her room.  
  
"Get some rest, honey," Phoebe whispered, planting a kiss on Piper's forehead. Paige hugged Piper warmly and said, "Don't blame yourself anymore, alright?"  
  
Piper avoided Paige's eyes as she muttered a barely audible and unenthusiastic "yeah".  
  
Closing the door behind her gently, Piper smiled. 


	5. Hell Hath LOTS of Fury

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Chapter 5  
  
-Underworld-  
  
"We must find a way to destroy Piper Halliwell before she destroys us!"  
  
"How? She's more powerful than any evil leader in history. How can we defeat her?"  
  
"We have to do something though! She's killed eighty-four demons in the past two days, not to mention forty-nine warlocks, six gremlins, thirty- two darklighters, sixteen harpies... We're dropping like flies!"  
  
"Unless you want to join those who have fallen, I suggest we stay put."  
  
Several evil beings muttered in agreement, while others protested loudly. Unbeknownst to them, a hooded figure stealthily walked out of the cave.  
  
-San Francisco-  
  
"Go to hell," Piper said icily, before blowing up some demon in front of her. Once again, she was on some sort of evil hunting rampage, similar to what happened in "Hell Hath No Fury", except that this time, her motives are different. Darker.  
  
"Piper!" Phoebe called out the moment Paige orbed to where Piper was located. "What in the world are you doing?"  
  
"Diminishing San Francisco's demonic population, what else?"  
  
Piper, please, don't go through this psychotic demon hunt. Remember what happened the last time you did that?"  
  
"That was last time. I have more control over my powers now."  
  
"NO! That's not the point I'm trying to make. You were turned into a fury the last time you tried something like this."  
  
"Oh relax, Phoebe, I'm fine. Besides, the furies are dead."  
  
"No, you are not. If you were fine, you wouldn't do something like this. Now, tell us what's wrong, sweetie."  
  
"Phoebe, like I said before, I'm fine."  
  
"Then why are you doing this?"  
  
'To eliminate the possibility of their killing me...' she thought. "I guess... um... I just wanted to compensate for the damage I've done when I was evil," Piper responded sorrowfully.  
  
"Oh, honey, we don't blame you for what you did. You were under the influence of evil."  
  
"That doesn't justify my actions."  
  
"Piper, you are the sweetest person ever! Don't let this experience change that, okay? Well, come on, let's go home," Paige pleaded, reaching out to take Piper's hand.  
  
Piper hesitantly grabbed Paige's hand before they orbed out together. 


	6. Convincing Cole

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Chapter 6  
  
-Manor-  
  
Cole sat on the couch, scribbling down notes for his newest court case.  
  
A bluish light interrupted his thoughts. Wearily, he placed the documents on the coffee table.  
  
"You're back... with Piper?"  
  
"Don't worry, Cole, she's good again," Paige reassured her.  
  
"What happened to the powers?" He questioned them.  
  
"Um... well, we saw this dark mist thing appear, then, disappear," Phoebe replied.  
  
"The power doesn't just disappear without a trace."  
  
"Well, maybe it went back to the demonic wasteland or the Underworld."  
  
"Maybe... not likely, but it could happen," Cole muttered, casting a suspicious look at Piper.  
  
Piper smiled an evil smile at him, and winked. At the same time, she mouthed, "don't".  
  
"Excuse me, ladies, but I'm going to head back to my apartment," Cole said before leaving the manor.  
  
"I'm going to get some rest now," Piper said to her sisters.  
  
-Cole's apartment-  
  
"Piper," Cole stated without even looking up from his work.  
  
"I see that you've been expecting me," Piper retorted sarcastically.  
  
"I know what you're hiding."  
  
"So? You think my sisters will believe you? Cole, I think that you've forgotten something. You are the one demon who caused more misery to the Halliwells than anyone else. They'll never believe you. They'll probably end up thinking that you're trying to trick them or something if you do tell... So my suggestion to you is to butt out."  
  
Cole remained silent. He knows that Piper is right, but he desperately wanted to do something. Anything. Even take those powers back himself. At least, he knows how to control them. Not that Piper wasn't powerful enough, but she just doesn't have the experience of handling such evil powers.  
  
"You're an intelligent man, Cole. Don't make me do something you'll regret. Clear?" Piper asked in a non-sincere, sweet voice.  
  
"Crystal clear," Cole replied stoically.  
  
"Good. I'm glad that we agree," Piper said with a fake smile before shimmering out.  
  
Cole threw his folders on the floor in frustration. 


	7. Suspicions

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Chapter 7  
  
-Underworld-  
  
"Darklighter, I have a job for you. Hunt down Leo Wyatt, and kill him."  
  
The Darklighter looked up in surprise.  
  
"Is this a trick?"  
  
"Does it seem like one?"  
  
Pause. "Yes."  
  
"Would you rather I get another Darklighter on this mission?" An energy ball appeared. Taunting the Darklighter.  
  
"Consider it done."  
  
"That's the kind of response I like to hear. Go. But remember, reveal my identity, and I'll give you a fate worse than death."  
  
-Manor-  
  
"Don't you think that Piper's been sort of... off?" Paige asked.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Phoebe said, confused.  
  
"Well, she's just not like Piper."  
  
"You mean because of her demon rampage?"  
  
"No... I mean... well, have you noticed how much she seems to avoid eye contact?"  
  
"Well, maybe it's because she's still blaming herself, and doesn't want us to know."  
  
"It seems more that just guilt. She seems to be hiding something." Paige speculated.  
  
"You know what? Let's just talk to her. At least we'll have a direction to proceed from instead of acting according to our assumptions. We don't want to cause her anymore distress than necessary," Phoebe said.  
  
"Fine," Paige replied, a tone of uncertainty in her voice.  
  
-Underworld-  
  
"Our population is diminishing faster than imaginable. We must stop her!"  
  
"How? She's powerful. And did I forget to mention that she's also invincible?"  
  
"I say we seek the help of the Charmed Ones."  
  
"Are you kidding? They'll vanquish us the moment one of us sets foot in the manor."  
  
"What choice do we have? Either way, we die. At least we'll have a better chance of survival if we seek aid."  
  
-Manor-  
  
"They're calling you again?" Piper asked.  
  
"Yeah, sorry, honey. I've got to go."  
  
"But we've finally got time to just sit around and relax. We haven't done that in ages."  
  
"I know, and I love you Piper. But I don't have a choice."  
  
"Fine. Go."  
  
"Piper..."  
  
"No, it's alright. We've been over this before. You have a job. I understand."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, Leo. Go now."  
  
"I love you, he whispered once more before orbing out.  
  
"Finally. Got rid of him," Piper muttered. "Go."  
  
A dark cloud formed as the Darklighter teleported out. 


	8. A Hint of Goodness

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Note: Sorry for not updating for so long. The end of the year is always a b*tch. So much stuff to cram for, especially with exams... Another short chapter... hopefully, I'll find some time to write longer chapters.  
  
Chapter 8  
  
-Some other place-  
  
"I'm here," Leo called out as he orbed in. "What happened?"  
  
"A demon attacked us," one of his charges replied urgently.  
  
"Do you know who?" Leo asked while bending down to heal their injuries.  
  
"Leo, look out!"  
  
"What? Ah!" He screamed, falling to the ground with an arrow in his chest - near the heart.  
  
The Darklighter disappeared into the shadows.  
  
"Oh my god... Leo, we've got to get his!" His charge cried.  
  
"Call... call, Piper..."  
  
- Manor-  
  
The phone rang in the Halliwell manor.  
  
Phoebe entered the front door just then. Throwing her purse on the coffee table, she picked up the receiver.  
  
"Hello, Phoebe speaking."  
  
"Phoebe!" An urgent voice called out. "Leo's been poisoned by a Darklighter."  
  
"What?! Shit, give me your location, and try to remove the arrow."  
  
"Phoebe, what's going on?" Piper yelled from upstairs.  
  
"Piper! Tell Paige to orb back. Leo's been shot by a Darklighter."  
  
Keeping a straight face, Piper rapidly called Paige.  
  
-Some other place-  
  
Blue orbing lights indicated the arrival of the Charmed Ones.  
  
"Leo!" Piper gasped out loud, as she ran towards him and knelt beside him. Paige quickly made her way over. Grasping one of his weak and clammy hands, she placed her other hand over the arrow wound.  
  
Meanwhile, the Darklighter who was lurking in the shadows aimed his crossbow at Paige.  
  
Piper caught sight of this and without thinking, shoved Paige out of the way of the oncoming arrow.  
  
'Damn, this hurts.' Piper thought, as the poisonous arrow embedded her ribs and pierced her left lung. 'Why in the world did I do that for?' 


	9. But Evil Always Prevails

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Note: Thanks for everyone who reviewed. It really feels good when a writer knows that she has people to support her and all. It really is encouraging, and I really appreciate those who take the time to review and comment. And just to prove how grateful I am... a LONG CHAPTER! Well, long for me anyways... still have around a week of school left... and still need to study for those finals...  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Piper collapsed onto the ground, clutching her injured side and crying out in pain. Blood seeped past her fingers, staining the cold ground.  
  
Paige stumbled blindly, but quickly got on her feet to avoid another darklighter arrow. She opened her mouth to yell for the crossbows, but the darklighter smoked out, and appeared behind her. Phoebe levitated and delivered a swift kick to the darklighter's temples. Paige quickly rolled out of the way as the darklighter lost his footing. The darklighter angrily stood up to face his newest attacker, and launched an arrow at Phoebe. Performing a well-executed flip in the air, Phoebe, landed behind the darklighter and pressed on with her assault. She slammed her elbow into the back of his neck, causing him to go down once more.  
  
During this hectic fiasco, Piper discreetly summoned another demon. True, he was afraid of facing the Charmed Ones and defying the orders of higher ranking demons, but he was even more terrified of Piper, and the former threats seem meaningless compared to the danger he might face if he dare defy Piper. Nervously, he powered up an energy ball and sent it hurtling at the two Charmed Ones, who were currently engaged in a battle with the darklighter. The energy ball's impact caused Paige to slam into the wall. She collapsed limply. The demon powered up again, hoping to terminate Phoebe as well. However, after seeing Paige collapse in unconsciousness, Phoebe was cautious, and dove out of harms way, which unfortunately placed her in line with the darklighter's next arrow. The arrow pierced through her shoulder, sending her spiralling to the ground.  
  
"Phoebe! Go!" Piper yelled from the other side of the room.  
  
"I won't leave you behind."  
  
"Leave, dammit! Just go!"  
  
By now, Paige was beginning to stir.  
  
"Phoebe, Paige, get the hell out of here!" Piper cried once more.  
  
Phoebe clumsily dodged another fireball, before stumbling into Paige. The two of them barely evaded the next arrow.  
  
"Kill him," Piper ordered the darklighter.  
  
The other witches stared in shock. 'Did one of the Charmed witches command a darklighter?'  
  
"Shocked?" She asked with a hint of amusement. "Leave, she told the demon and darklighter, "And take the whitelighter's body with you."  
  
With a loud cry, one of the witches flung her towards the wall. "Traitor!"  
  
The force of the fall made the arrow pierce right out the other side, the jagged arrowhead ripping away at body tissue. Agony. Blood dripped out of the corner of her mouth.  
  
"Is that the best you've got?" Piper taunted, pulling the arrow out of herself. The speared tip tore through her flesh, but she ignored the pain. The wound sealed the moment the arrow was fully removed. Piper wiped the blood on her mouth away with her sleeve, and flung the arrow at one of the witches, impaling the unsuspecting woman in the heart.  
  
"My turn," Piper stated flatly with a cruel smile, before conjuring up an immense energy ball and vanquishing the remaining witches. "That's better." 


	10. Grieving

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Note: YES! Finally. School is done for! Until september... but that's still over two months away! Whew. I hate exams. They are torture tools! Just kidding. Yeah, they're helpful, review the whole year's crap and all. But doesn't mean I like them! Okay, enough with the exam rants. Thanks to all those who reviewed, and I will try my best to update sooner.  
  
Chapter 10  
  
-Manor-  
  
"We shouldn't have left her behind," Phoebe mumbled worriedly.  
  
Paige nodded in agreement. Her mind, wandering... about Piper's actions. 'Maybe she really was just upset over that demon rage thing... why else would she have saved me like that?'  
  
"We should go back..." Paige suggested.  
  
Phoebe looked relieved and eagerly agreed. 'Hang in there, Piper.'  
  
The two of them found Piper cradling Leo's cold and stiff body, with tears streaking down her cheeks.  
  
"He's gone..." she sobbed out. "Gone..."  
  
"Piper," Phoebe began, but lost her voice as well.  
  
Meanwhile, Paige was eyeing Piper suspiciously. 'I thought that she was shot by a darklighter...' But quickly, she berated herself for doubting her sister. 'She just saved your life! Hasn't she proved herself? Besides, her husband is dead. She's breaking up, and here, you're accusing her of being evil??? But why then, do I feel like something's wrong?'  
  
Phoebe managed to get her voice back, and gently placed a hand on Piper's shoulder. "Come on, Piper, let's go home."  
  
"No!" Piper cried hugging Leo's corpse tighter.  
  
"Piper... he's gone, sweetie. Please, let's go home."  
  
"Leo..."  
  
Phoebe soothingly embraced her distraught sister. Piper grabbed onto Phoebe securely, sobbing into her younger sister's shoulder. "Phoebe... he... he saved me... was dying... he, he used his healing powers to save me... he's dead, Phoebe! He's dead! Too weak... to sustain his... his own life... Phoebe... Leo... he's dead!" Piper rambled on.  
  
Phoebe whispered all sorts of comforting things to Piper, trying to relieve her of her sorrow for such a grave loss. Tenderly, she stroked Piper's soft brown hair, and held onto her distressed sister's fragile form. 'She always was the fragile one in the family... god, how is she going to survive this. I don't know if she can take anymore losses... our whole life, nothing but loss. How she wished to take all of her sister's pain away... Piper always managed to ease her pain... All the time. When they were younger, she would always go to Piper to alleviate her frustration, her sadness. And Piper, she would always listen. And at the right times, she would give great advices - and they usually worked too. She remembered the times when Piper would stay up all night, comforting her in a way only Piper could.  
  
Quietly, Phoebe signalled for Paige to orb them back to the manor. 


	11. Facade

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Note: Hey wAnAbEpIpEr, no worries. I got your review through e-mail. It just didn't show up on the site, but it's alright. It makes me feel so encouraged to have someone review, with such consistency. You have no idea how supportive you are to myself and many of the other fanfic authors on the net. Thank-you. Oh yeah, and thanks for dragging me off my lazy ass. I was too caught up in reading Charmed novels! Damn, they're good. Now I'm addicted. I've been reading for two days straight! Also, thanks everyone else for the kind reviews and support. piper13, I'm sort of unsure as to which part you found confusing... but I'll give you a small summary that could hopefully clarify things. So basically, Cole's powers went into Piper, making her evil. Her sisters think that she is good, for they thought that they had vanquished the evil in Piper. Little did they know that Piper had already predicted that they'll do that, so Piper drank some sort of potion that counters the affects of the power-stripping potion, thus retaining her powers. That black mist that appeared was simply an optical illusion that Piper created to fool her sisters into believing that she's good. Piper is currently trying to take over the underworld, and destroy her sisters. She's doing this rather discreetly, playing good one minute, and evil the next. The more powerful demons don't trust her, which is why they're trying to kill her off. The weaker demons are afraid of her, and therefore, are willing to listen to her orders. Her latest plot was to murder Leo, for without a whitelighter, her sisters would be easier to vanquish. But just because Piper's evil doesn't mean there isn't good left in her, which is why she rescued Paige. Leo dies, and she's faking a big, grieving meltdown.  
  
Chapter 11  
  
-Piper's room, Manor-  
  
Once home, Paige and Phoebe quickly saw to it that Piper rested in bed. Deciding that her sister needed some time alone, Phoebe swiftly ushered Paige out of the room, and then she too left the grief-stricken Piper.  
  
Piper sobbed softy into her pillow, waiting for the door to close. The moment she heard her sisters down the stairs, she sat up, and wiped her tears off with her sleeve. 'Thank god' she thought, 'I was wondering when they would leave... I doubt that I could put up this act for much longer!' She was relieved that her plan went so smoothly. 'Good thing I did get hit by the arrow. It would have been much more difficult to come up with a story as to why Leo died. Leo...' she thought, feeling a bit disturbed. 'Could I actually be sad about his death? No, impossible. Keep your mind focused, Piper. You've come too far to screw up now. Take care of the urgent matters at hand.' Sighing loudly, she shifted onto her back and leaned on a pillow, her mind, deep in thought. 'Time for phase two.'  
  
-Kitchen, Manor-  
  
Paige and Phoebe sat by the kitchen counter, each holding a mug of coffee and wearing an expression of defeat.  
  
"I can't believe he's gone..." Paige whispered.  
  
"What are we ever going to do?" Phoebe mumbled dejectedly. "And worse... I doubt Piper can go through this. Prue's death affected her so drastically. She's changed. She's different. You should have seen her a few years ago. So gentle. The mediator between our fights. She was the compassionate one. She's hardened so much. Can't say I blame her. She's been through so much. I'm really scared for Piper, Paige. What if she doesn't pull through this time?"  
  
"She'll pull through in time. She has to. Despite her reluctance in the craft, she'll never abandon innocents when they need help," Paige responded monotonously.  
  
"Is this it? Are we doomed now? The underworld is in chaos right now. So many powerful demons are struggling to become the next Source. We don't have the power of three... and Piper, she's more fragile than she appears to be. This experience must have shattered her so much."  
  
Paige stared blankly at the coffee. Phoebe's words barely registered in her mind. She was too preoccupied thinking about the attack. Something doesn't add up. 'Where did the witches disappear off to?' 


	12. Brush with the Evil One!

CORRUPTED  
  
Note: Don't worry, piper13. You weren't the only one who's confused. If writing that summary helped everyone understand the plot better, then that's great. Sorry, I know it was kind of confusing. wAnAbEpIpEr, I'm jealous of you. You've read every single book! I was going to, at the bookstore, but I can't read THAT fast. I had an hour... besides, I spent my time reading an X-Men novel... so I ended up buying Charmed novels... finished all of them (four) in a day. Stayed up late at night... So good! I'm addicted! AHH! Someone help me! Thanks everyone, for reviewing. Give yourselves a pat on the back for taking the time and effort to encourage others.  
  
Chapter 12  
  
-Kitchen, Manor: continued-  
  
"Phoebe, hasn't it occurred to you that something's wrong? Where were the other witches when we arrived the second time?" Paige blurted out.  
  
Phoebe gave her a puzzled look.  
  
"What I'm trying to say... is that Piper's not being straight with us. Now, I know it's a bad time to bring this up, but it's really nagging me," Paige said pleadingly, hoping that her sister would listen.  
  
Phoebe's expression was unreadable, and Paige was worried that she had taken it too far this time. Her suspicions were confirmed when Phoebe exploded.  
  
"Paige, how could you even think of such a thing?!? In case you've forgotten, Piper is your sister! I can't believe you would bring up something like this when she just lost her husband. How..."  
  
"It's alright, Phoebe."  
  
"Piper!" They both exclaimed in surprise.  
  
"Piper, just ignore Paige, she's..."  
  
"No, don't bother," Piper interrupted. "I'm sorry that you don't trust me, Paige. I don't hold it against you," Piper said shakily, before turning around and running out the door.  
  
"Piper, wait!"  
  
SLAM  
  
"Nice going," Phoebe muttered sarcastically, glaring daggers at Paige. "She's already hurt enough by Leo's death. She doesn't need you on her case too! God, I hope she doesn't do something stupid..."  
  
"Phoebe, wait, please, listen to me," Paige pleaded.  
  
"I'll listen to you when Piper's safe at home." With that, Phoebe went out in search of her older sister.  
  
Paige collapsed on the stool dejectedly. 'How could things have gone so out of hand?' Then she remembered something. Cole. He gave Piper a weird look before, when he first found out that they had stripped the evil powers. Could he know something they didn't? If so, what was he hiding? Without hesitation, Paige orbed over to Cole's apartment.  
  
-Cole's Apartment-  
  
Cole looked up in surprise at Paige's arrival. "Paige," he said evenly. "What do you want?"  
  
"Answers, Cole. Something's up with Piper, and I know, that you are in on it."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Cole, don't play stupid. I saw you give a look of uncertainty the other day. You know something, so spill."  
  
"Are you under Piper's evil influence or something?" He asked warily.  
  
"What do you mean by that?"  
  
"I think you should trust your instincts?"  
  
"What?" Paige snapped, annoyed.  
  
Cole felt a shiver go down his spine. "Trust in your instincts," he whispered. "Get out of here."  
  
"Don't you go about blowing me off."  
  
"Fine. Please get out of here."  
  
"You're pathetic, you know."  
  
Cole ignored her and went back to his paperwork.  
  
"Arrg. Men..." Paige muttered as she stepped out into the hallway. Punching the elevator button furiously to vent her frustration. "Open, dammit."  
  
The mechanical "ding" of the elevator caused her to snap out of her reverie, and she stepped in. The door closed behind her.  
  
"Looking for me?" An icy voice taunted.  
  
Paige whirled around to face the intruder, and found herself staring at a pair of familiar brown eyes. 


	13. Frozen

CORRUPTED  
  
Note:  
  
Okay. I am officially pissed off. Why??? MY COMPUTER CRASHED. Again. Computers are NOT supposed to crash twice within two freaking years. I just lost everything! ARRGGG!!! In other words, DO NOT USE Windows XP. just kidding. it's useful, it just crashes so often. I'm really going to cry. All those stuff on my computer. just gone. AHHH!  
  
Thanks again, wAnAbEpIpEr, for reviewing. Yeah, I'm a total bookworm too. Just bought another four Charmed novels! Haha.  
  
EvilPiper421, your comments are greatly appreciated!  
  
piperperson, thanks for your input too, and reviewing so quickly.  
  
Lastly, thanks, Charmed Fanatic for that thorough analysis of my story! Haha, I'm so grateful for all of your compliments and encouragements.  
  
Chapter 13  
  
A pair of familiar brown eyes that was once full of compassion and understanding. Once. Instead, Paige found herself caught in her sister's evil and emotionless eyes.  
  
"Piper!" She gasped out loud.  
  
"Surprised to see me?"  
  
"What do you want?" Paige asked shakily.  
  
"Oh, I think you know the answer that that question," Piper stated menacingly.  
  
Paige started to orb away without a second word, only to feel herself pulled back by a powerful force.  
  
"What's the matter? Scared of your own sister? You wouldn't actually believe that I was evil? Would you?" Piper taunted.  
  
"Piper, you're not funny. What's wrong with you?"  
  
"Another question with an obvious answer. What's wrong with me? I think you know. You've been nagging long enough about it."  
  
"I'm not the only one who knows you're evil."  
  
"I know. But one less person to deal with makes things much easier to handle. Now I can see why the former Source, AND the Source before that loathed you with a passion."  
  
"Ha. You're a real laugh. Killing me won't get you anywhere. Others know already."  
  
"I know. But it does help relieve my migraine." Piper's lips formed a sadistic grin. "So. make it easy on yourself and hold still." An energy ball appeared in her hand. "Good-bye, Paige." The energy ball flew towards Paige at a lightening quick speed.  
  
'So this is it.' Paige thought warily, as the immense heat intensified. Suddenly, she felt herself shimmer away.  
  
Piper sighed in frustration before shimmering after the demon who rescued Paige.  
  
-Manor-  
  
"Why did you rescue me?!?" Paige demanded incredulously.  
  
"Ever heard of the saying 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend?' Well, your sister's too powerful for us to handle, which is why we need you alive to help defeat her."  
  
"Why would I help YOU destroy my sister?"  
  
"You don't have a choice. If she's allowed to rule the underworld, then we are all doomed. You have no idea how powerful she is. How dangerous. Your sister's smart. She's cautious, unlike the previous few Sources. I'd dare say she's even more of a threat than Cole. Her years of experience as a good witch only make her more skilled in dealing with evil and good. She's out to dominate everything. Your whitelighter died at her hands," the demon explained. He carried on, "The majority of the Underworld is already at her service; however, there are the few of us who dare to defy her. But even with all of us combined, we are not strong enough to defeat the new source. I hate to admit it, but you and your other sister are the best chances to defeat the Evil One."  
  
"Sorry. I don't work with demons."  
  
"Really? That's too bad."  
  
Paige and the demon whirled around to face the intruder.  
  
Piper.  
  
"Traitors shall not be tolerated during my reign," Piper stated cruelly, before painfully vanquishing the demon.  
  
"And as for you, Paige. I'm ashamed of you. Working with a demon. I didn't know you could stoop that low. Wait till Phoebe hears this."  
  
"Ha. You're one to talk. I'm not the one who's the 'Source of all Evil'! Wait till Phoebe hears that you're the real demon," Paige retorted.  
  
"Hm. true. Unfortunately, you're not going to have the opportunity to tell her that, Paige."  
  
Paige felt her heart skip a beat, as the threat sank in. 'She's going to kill me' She started to orb once again, but her efforts were futile. Paige found herself frozen in place. Literally frozen. All except her head. Her body temperature dropped drastically, as her blood gradually ceased to flow. The pain. excruciating.  
  
Piper approached her with a vicious smirk. She conjured up a sledgehammer. "Don't you just love the way my powers warp whenever I turn evil? Man, you're missing out on all the fun. Being a good witch. no freedom whatsoever. Always bound by duty. What's that ever give us but pain? Join me, Paige, and I will spare you. You are after all, my sister."  
  
"I'll never join you. You've been corrupted, Piper. No. no, you're no longer my sister," Paige spat out venomously.  
  
Piper seemed taken aback by this comment. Her eyes showed signs of hurt, but it was instantly replaced by a harder, and colder look. "Suit yourself," she grunted, while slamming the sledgehammer down on Paige's right arm.  
  
Paige tried to resist the agony but found that she could not. The pain. it was too much. Too overwhelming. 'God. please. just let me die.'  
  
Piper seemed to have read her mind. "I'm not letting you go that easily, Paige. You're going die, no doubt about that. But." she smiled. "I do have all day." 


	14. The Halliwell's Curse

CORRUPTED  
  
Note: Thanks again, for the reviews.  
  
Chapter 14  
  
-A while later-  
  
"How are you holding up?" Piper asked casually, though not really caring about the answer. Her anger has been vented, and now, she actually feels kind of guilty for hurting Paige. 'What are you doing?' her alter ego reprimanded. 'We could be discovered, and you're being sympathetic? Get her off you back, and things will be easier.' But Piper has had enough. Summoning all the strength she possessed, she broke through the evil mind and unfroze Paige.  
  
"Get out of here!" She managed to scream, before feeling the evil essence take over again.  
  
Paige didn't linger any longer, and quickly orbed to the manor.  
  
-Manor-  
  
Paige stumbled right into Phoebe's path, knocking her sister to the floor and spilling rich, hot blood everywhere.  
  
Phoebe was stunned into a state of paralysis as the sight of Paige's cruelly mutilated body registered in her mind. Her sister's right arm was missing, and in its place, a bloody stump. Her left oblique was non- existent, her ribs and several other organs were visible. Lastly, a chunk of her left quadriceps was roughly removed. Blood was pooling fast all over the place - her arteries were shooting jets of crimson liquid, covering the walls and furniture of the room in a blanket of death; her veins were dribbling out her life fluids at a much slower rate, but still contributing to the chaotic mess.  
  
"Shit." Phoebe managed to whisper, before pulling herself together to ensure Paige's survival. Roughly, she grabbed her cell phone and punched in 9-1-1 with shaky fingers, and held her breath anxiously until she heard the voice of the operator. The moment she was sure the ambulance is on its way, she dropped to her knees once again, and began pressing on the wounds to lessen the blood loss.  
  
Someone was there already, applying pressure on Paige's multiple injuries. Piper.  
  
"You're back!" Phoebe gasped, as she pressed another towel over the previous bloodied rag. Piper barely heard Phoebe, as she focused all her energy on resuscitating her sister.  
  
Less than a minute later, the ambulance pulled up and three paramedics rushed in. Working quickly but efficiently, the trio managed to load Paige into the ambulance within a minute.  
  
Piper hastily volunteered to sit in front. Her saving Paige. a false appearance, or a caring sister? Piper wasn't sure. She didn't want to take the chance of accidentally killing everyone though.  
  
Phoebe sat worriedly in the back with Paige, her mind in a daze. 'Not again. please, not again.' She doubt that she and Piper could survive another loss. 'The Halliwell's curse.' she thought bitterly. 'Is it really worth it? Worth all the deaths, all the pain?' Turning her eyes back on Paige, she tried not to notice the sickening pale colour of Paige's skin. She stared dumbfoundedly at the pile of bloodied cloths on the ambulance floor, trying to think positive, but found that she couldn't. Paige already has that "death aura" surrounding her. Phoebe could sense it. She just didn't want to believe it. 


	15. Loss

CORRUPTED  
  
Note: No, I actually updated two separate times. Here's the next chapter. Enjoy.  
  
Chapter 15  
  
-Hospital-  
  
Phoebe sat solemnly on the stiff white hospital chair in the waiting room, staring blankly ahead. Her legs were numb by the weight of her head, which rested on her palms, which were supported by her elbows. For six hours now, Phoebe remained in this position - unmoving. Her dejected posture gave the impression of someone who has lost all hopes.  
  
Piper too, felt disturbed, for a completely different reason. 'What am I doing?' she thought, confused. 'Why am I helping the person who I'm trying to kill?'  
  
Another two hours passed before a surgeon approached the two Halliwell sisters. Specks of blood blanketed the surgeon's gown, and her facemask hung on one ear casually. Nevertheless, her face was anything but casual. The worn out, dejected appearance made her seem twice her age. Her eyes were solemn and grave, for she was about to reveal unpleasant news to the two distressed women who anxiously awaited news of their sister's condition.  
  
Phoebe took one glance at the surgeon's face and closed her eyes slowly, almost painfully. The reasonable part of Phoebe knew that this was going to happen - her sister's injuries were too severe. Too fatal. No modern medicine or technology could have saved her. She was missing half a freaking body! Still, the naïve part of Phoebe wanted to believe that somehow, Paige would be saved. that this was just another one of those tests in which they must face and conquer. The thought that 'Paige won't leave us so easily' raced through Phoebe's head for the past 8 hours, but now. even the optimistic Phoebe felt reality crash down upon her.  
  
"Piper, Phoebe. I'm Dr. Arlington, the surgeon in charge of your sister's operation."  
  
Piper and Phoebe urged her to continue.  
  
"When your sister arrived, she had already lost too much blood. Her chances of survival were dangerously low." the surgeon paused.  
  
"So she's dead," Phoebe stated flatly.  
  
"No."  
  
Phoebe's head jerked up, her pulse increasing.  
  
"Unfortunately, it is unlikely that she will make it through the day. I'm truly sorry. but her injuries were too severe. I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm afraid your sister has no chances of survival. I've seen cases like this, and I have never witnessed a survivor. I'm sorry."  
  
"She's alive." Phoebe managed to choke out.  
  
"Yes Ms. Halliwell, she is."  
  
"Well, that's all that matters. Can we see her?"  
  
Dr. Arlington considered the request thoughtfully. The ICU should remain as undisturbed as possible, however, she felt as if she had already failed this family. It wouldn't hurt to let them spend Paige's last few hours together. "Sure. I will take you there."  
  
-ICU-  
  
Paige felt herself float gently upwards - towards the light. Feeling confused, she glanced downwards and gasped at the sight of her body on the hospital bed. Her disfigured body was gruesome. her right arm was missing, the bandage covering her midsection was soaked with blood, and her skin was pale, if that were even possible. 'I'm dead' she realized incredulously. The EKG displayed a flat line, and a piercing mechanical noise interrupted the silence.  
  
-Hallway-  
  
The flat-line noise broke out, as Dr. Arlington quickly raced to the ICU, leaving the two distraught sisters behind.  
  
Phoebe fell to her knees and broke down, clutching Piper's pant leg as if she were holding onto the most valuable treasure in the world. Then again, Piper is her most valuable treasure in the world. now that Paige. Phoebe didn't even want to finish that thought.  
  
Piper kneeled down so that she was level with her sister. Unconsciously, she gently placed her arms around her distressed sister and began soothing Phoebe. Piper felt her sister lean into the embrace and rest her head on Piper's shoulders. Without thinking, Piper began murmuring all sorts of comforting words to Phoebe, hoping to alleviate her sister's sorrows. The rushing hospital personnel and ER nurses seem oblivious to the two sisters, for their thoughts and emotions were focused on their shattering family. 


	16. Separation

CORRUPTED  
  
Note: Piper is still evil. She's about as confused as you are! She doesn't know if good or evil. Well, she knows she's evil, but she can't help but be compassionate at times. It's frustrating her though.  
  
piperperson, thanks for always reviewing  
  
Harry, um. I'm not exactly a fashion person. I might try my best to describe her clothing later, or perhaps you could give me some advice?  
  
Charmed Fanatic, wow, thanks for taking the time to write such a long review! I really appreciate it.  
  
Piper13, sorry. I killed Paige off before reading the review. I hope you don't mind. but hey, it's an alternate reality fic. and I don't know, maybe she could pop back later. because I personally have no idea where I'm heading. I'm just writing.  
  
Chapter 16  
  
-Phoebe's Room-  
  
Phoebe stared teary-eyed at the photo frame with a picture of the three of them. 'We were so happy', she thought, gingerly touching Paige's smiling face. She had been leaning on Piper's shoulder ever since they arrived home two hours ago. After the doctors announced Paige's time of death. Piper had surprisingly remained calm, and had managed to get the both of them home safely. Phoebe couldn't believe that Paige was no longer here with them. they barely even know her. only two years. Such a short time, it doesn't seem fair to Phoebe. She embraced the craft before, doing her very best to fulfill her destiny. Even after Prue's death, she and her sisters still carried on. Now, it's just her and her 'sister', no more 'sisters'. Her sister, Piper. From the beginning, till the end. Phoebe was starting to understand why Piper was so against the craft. They risk their lives everyday to save others, and fate returns the gratitude by killing off each and every single one of her family. Mom. Grams. Prue. Cole. Leo. Paige.  
  
'Leo', she thought. 'Oh no. Piper. she must be even more devastated by Paige's death than I am.' Phoebe felt guilty for breaking down first. Her sister just witnessed the death of her husband and her sister within two days! She must be torn by all this. Taking a deep breath, Phoebe forced herself to relax, using the various meditation techniques she has learned over the past few years.  
  
"Piper," Phoebe whispered, "It's okay, I'm alright now. Let it go, baby. I'm here for you."  
  
Piper looked uncertain for a moment, before she spoke. "Phoebe, you're all I have left. after all these times. it's just the two of us. Phoebe, I can't bare to lose you!"  
  
Phoebe smiled sympathetically and hugged Piper tenderly. "I'm not going anywhere, sweetie."  
  
"We'll always be together."  
  
"You bet," Phoebe whispered.  
  
"You promise?" Piper asked solemnly.  
  
"No doubt about it," Phoebe replied sternly.  
  
"No matter what I become?"  
  
"I love you, Piper. You're my big sister. My family. I promise you. no matter what, I'll always be with you," Phoebe whispered comfortingly.  
  
Piper debated with herself. She's turning soft! Not only did she save Paige, even though she did die in the end. but that's besides the point. but she's also planning to spare Phoebe! 'You can't go soft. The Underworld will not tolerate a weak leader! Get your act together before you lose everything you have worked so hard to gain.' Nevertheless, Piper couldn't stand another loss. Phoebe was her baby sister! No, she cannot harm Phoebe. She'd soon die.  
  
"Phoebe. please, join me."  
  
"You mean like we did when we were younger? Sure, let's sit by the fireplace and drink hot chocolate until we get sick!"  
  
"Uh. sure," Piper muttered, slapping herself mentally for being so ambiguous. 'Just get it over with.'  
  
-Fireplace, Manor-  
  
Phoebe shoved in the logs absent-mindedly. She was deep in thought regarding Piper's odd behaviour and Paige's. Paige's death. Phoebe was extremely worried about Piper, believing her to be in shock. After all, Piper seems uncertain, and frightened. asking her all sorts of insecure questions in fear of losing Phoebe.  
  
Piper arrived then, with two mugs of steaming hot chocolate and a bag of marshmallows. "Hey."  
  
"Hey."  
  
The two of them sat in silence, staring intently at the fire, watching each blaze dance.  
  
"Phoebe," Piper interrupted the silence.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Phoebe, rule the Underworld with me."  
  
"What?" Phoebe asked, clearly confused.  
  
"Paige was right, Phoebe. I am evil. Ever since Cole's demonic powers entered me, I've never felt more powerful. I'm the new Source."  
  
"We vanquished the evil though."  
  
"You thought you vanquished it. I was a Charmed witch before, Phoebe. I know how to use potions and spells. I can still touch the book of shadows. After, I still have Warren blood in me."  
  
"I can't believe you would lie to me." Phoebe whispered, feeling hurt.  
  
"I didn't mean to. But your sense of duty would ruin my plans."  
  
"Did you kill Leo and Paige?"  
  
Piper was silent for a moment. "Yes, I did."  
  
"How could you?!" Phoebe cried hysterically. "You husband and your sister! No, Piper, I am not going to join you in your massacre of innocents."  
  
"You said you would stay with me forever."  
  
"Yes, I would, but you're not Piper. You're the Source. I'm sorry, I am not turning my back on innocents and my heritage."  
  
"Phoebe."  
  
"NO! Get out!"  
  
Piper's eyes flashed dangerously for a second, before conjuring an energy ball. She struggled briefly, before closing her hand and extinguishing the energy ball. "Consider yourself lucky."  
  
She shimmered out. 


	17. Someone's Back

CORRUPTED  
  
Note: I personally think that all the sisters are unique in their own way, and I admire each one for their own special talents and character. It's pretty obvious who my favourite is though! Haha.  
  
Wanabepiper, hey, was camp good? I want to go camping! I'm cooped up in the house all day with nothing to do. thanks for reviewing!  
  
Piper13, a great big thanks to you too, for always supporting me. I'm not sure if Piper's going to turn good. I haven't thought that far yet. I sort of just write away.  
  
Piperperson, man, you are just great yourself! Thanks for the support.  
  
Charmedfanatic12, thank you so much for your kind comments.  
  
Chapter 17  
  
-Source's Chamber, Underworld-  
  
Piper flung an energy ball at the cavern walls, cursing under her breath. 'Her sister refused her offer! How could she? She promised that we would always be together.' Piper thought angrily, feeling the pain of rejection. 'This is what you get for being weak. she's not worth all the pain, Piper,' the evil thought in her head argued. Nevertheless, Piper feels as if something was holding her back. She is unsure of her capability to hurt her sister, let alone kill her.  
  
'You MUST kill her.'  
  
'No, I don't have to do anything.'  
  
"ARG!" Piper cried in outrage, blowing up another segment of the wall. 'Why the hell must it be MY sister standing in my way of victory?!' Steadying herself, Piper began to pace around in her chamber. 'All those who betray me. must die.'  
  
-Manor-  
  
Phoebe was lost. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, they did. With Paige's death, comes the end of the Charmed Ones. Not that it was Phoebe's main concern. She viewed Paige as a sister before a witch. and now, Piper's not only evil, but she is also the Source of all evil. 'Great,' Phoebe thought gloomily, 'the fate of the world rests in my hands. kill my only sister, or kill the world. Some choice.'  
  
Being all alone doesn't help either.  
  
-Underworld-  
  
Piper vanquished the last of the rebellious demonic leaders. "This is the fate of the traitors." She warned the underworld. "Let that be a warning. I won't be so nice as to kill so quickly."  
  
It is not likely for treacherous activities to occur anyways. After witnessing Piper brutally torturing the rebellious demons and killing them off in an excruciating manner, no one was willing to test the boundaries of their newest and most powerful Source.  
  
"Now that I've disposed of the useless creatures, we will proceed onto our next phase. We have the power to rule above the ground, why do we stay in the underworld? We have nothing to fear from. Nothing to hide from. Humans don't stand a chance against us. They're easily corrupted, and they're easily killed. Witches, and other magical creatures however, should not be accounted for so lightly. If we want to rule, we must cooperate first, by combining our strengths to eliminate them. We take them down first, then we go after the Elders."  
  
"What about the remaining Charmed One?"  
  
"Leave her to me."  
  
-Manor-  
  
Phoebe gasped as blue lights appeared in front of her. 'I thought that Leo and Paige were dead?' The sight that bestowed her surprised the already stunned Phoebe.  
  
"Prue?" Phoebe asked incredulously.  
  
"The one and only."  
  
"You're a whitelighter?"  
  
"What does it look like Pheebs?" Prue replied with a smile.  
  
"Oh my goodness, Prue!" Phoebe shrieked happily before tackling Prue in a massive hug.  
  
"I've missed you too, Phoebe," Prue whispered in her baby sister's ears, tears running down her face.  
  
After registering the shock, Phoebe sobered up. "Alright, Prue, what's up? The Elders are never this generous without some sort of a reason."  
  
"You're right, Phoebe. Something big is up. I'm not allowed to reveal too much."  
  
Phoebe raised her eyebrows at Prue. "You were never ones to give into THEIR rules so quickly."  
  
"Ha. You're right. But this is important Phoebe," Prue said solemnly. "You need help. The Underworld is too close to overtaking the world. The Elders are relying on you to prevent that from happening."  
  
"Whoa. Back up. You're saying that the world depends on me."  
  
"Pretty much. So don't screw up."  
  
"Prue, this isn't funny. I am a one person army against the entire demonic population that happens to be lead by my very own sister! I'm sorry Prue, I can't take on such a burden."  
  
"You have to Pheebs. You've got no choice. But try to get through to Piper first. She's still good inside. She was the best out of all of us," Prue said sadly, remembering the happy past the three of them shared. "She was always stuck in the middle. but she's got such a big heart for everyone. Piper's always so compassionate and understanding. she's still good inside, Phoebe. The evil powers may be too intense for her to handle right now, but she can fight it. She's already spared you countless times. I believe in her, Phoebe. Do you?"  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath. "Of course I do Prue, I'm just hurt right now. She lied to me! Killed the rest of. the rest of the family."  
  
"I understand your pain, Phoebe. I felt it too, even though I was up there. They were my family too. And Piper's. It's not her, Phoebe, but the evil powers inside of her. The evil powers she can't control."  
  
"Since when were you so full of sentimental crap, Prue?" Phoebe asked, sniffling loudly.  
  
Prue smiled warmly. "Ever since they pacified me for two years up there. I'm kidding, Pheebs. My death made me realize how precious life is. I couldn't spend anymore time with my family, and it hurt me more than you can even imagine. None of us can stay together forever. I wanted to just spend my last moments with both my sisters. but unfortunately, I never got the chance to. I don't want you to feel lonely Phoebe. Piper's all you have left. I don't want you to lose her."  
  
"I don't either. But she's too powerful for me to take on alone."  
  
"You're never alone, Phoebe. We are always with you."  
  
"Thanks, Prue."  
  
"I'll protect you, Phoebe. Don't worry. Now, let's go get our sister back." 


	18. One Last Chance

CORRUPTED  
  
Note: Thanks, Piper13 and Piperperson for always reviewing.  
  
Here is. a LONG chapter! I'm so proud of myself. (Okay, it might not be super long, but it's long for me.)  
  
Chapter 18  
  
-Underworld-  
  
"Prue's back as a whitelighter? Are you sure?" Piper demanded the demon before her. Her mind was a turmoil from all the problems of planning an attack. She didn't need more distractions to trouble her. But could Prue really be back? Her sister, Prue?  
  
"Affirmative."  
  
-Manor-  
  
Piper shimmered into the manor and hid behind the closet, peeping out on her sisters from the small crack. Phoebe and Prue were on the couch. Her older sister appeared to be comforting Phoebe, stroking her hair gently and whispering all sorts of soothing things. Piper longed to be held again, by her older sister. Prue was the strong one, the one she could rely on to protect her. The scene before her reminded Piper of the times the three of them would snuggle together on the couch to hang out. She missed that feeling. 'Whoa, Piper, get a grip. You're here to get rid of them, not get all sentimental about things. Besides, Phoebe refused you. She's no longer you're sister! She certainly doesn't think of you as one.' But the twenty-seven years of knowing her baby sister pulled her evil thoughts back - with difficulty though. 'No. I can't hurt her. She is my baby sister! It's Phoebe. And Prue. no, I can't hurt them.' Her head ached terribly. She wanted to be with her sisters, yet, something was pulling her back. Piper groaned in frustration, alerting Prue of a presence.  
  
Prue opened the closet door using her telekinesis, exposing her distraught younger sister. "Piper." she whispered.  
  
Phoebe's head shot up at the mention of Piper's name, but before they could say anything, Piper shimmered out.  
  
"Dammit. I was too slow," Prue cursed, fuming at her hesitation. "I should have tried to talk to her instead of gape with my mouth hanging open."  
  
"Don't blame yourself, Prue. I was doing the same thing. I think it's me, Prue. She was angry and hurt when I pushed her away. what if I caused her to become more evil? She probably thinks that no one loves her anymore. Prue, what do I do?" Phoebe wailed miserably.  
  
"Come here, Pheebs." Prue whispered, embracing her baby sister warmly. "We'll find a way. We always do."  
  
-Underworld-  
  
"Okay, we've got no time to lose," Piper stated firmly. "I want the political leaders and the emergency services corrupted. Kill whoever resists."  
  
"The last Source tried to do this, but he failed. He didn't get the spiritual nexus at the Charmed Ones' home."  
  
"Who do you see in front of you?!? Imbecile. I will not tolerate idiots who could jeopardize my plan. Understood?" Piper snapped.  
  
"Forgive me, my Queen."  
  
"Anyways, I've got enough power. I don't need the nexus. Besides, Cole was too soft. I'm not. We corrupt those in power, and the witches won't be hard to take down. However, just because we're powerful doesn't mean we can be reckless. I want everyone to be cautious. Proceed discreetly. If witches discover our plan too quickly, we're in for a fairly rough battle," Piper warned. "It would be ashamed to lose your life before you even begin to enjoy it."  
  
"I know we've already asked this, my Queen, but what about the remaining Charmed One and her new whitelighter?" A demon asked.  
  
"Enough! Don't you people understand anything? I said that I'll take care of them."  
  
"I understand, your majesty, but still, we would feel more reassured if our main threat is taken down."  
  
"Pathetic. Fine. Proceed with the plan. I will drop by for a little visit at the Halliwell manor."  
  
-Manor-  
  
Phoebe and Prue were busy stocking up on potions and spells. The Elders have already told Prue of an increase in demonic activity above ground. Prue still found it hard to believe that her sweet, innocent sister is the Source of all evil. They were interrupted when Piper shimmered in.  
  
"Prue, nice to see you again," Piper said coolly.  
  
"Piper, listen to us sweetie. you're not evil," Prue began.  
  
"Stuff it Prue. I'm not here for a pep talk. I'm here to vanquish you." Piper looked at Phoebe in the eye again. "Last chance, Phoebe. Will you join me?"  
  
Phoebe swallowed the lump in her throat. "Piper. I can't. I'm not evil. You're not evil. You're only controlled by evil, but you're good inside Piper. You must believe me," Phoebe said gently.  
  
"I take that as a 'no'," Piper snapped.  
  
"Piper, please, give us another chance to be together again. Prue's finally back! They let her come back to us. Don't throw this opportunity away."  
  
Piper's emotionless eyes flickered with sadness for a moment, before she spoke, "Paige is dead though. I killed her." That seemed to drive her angry again, the evil returned to her eyes. "I killed her, Phoebe! I'm going to do the same to you unless you join me. Last warning!"  
  
"I'm sorry, Piper. I would rather die than go off slaughtering innocents."  
  
An energy ball was launched towards Phoebe, but Prue deflected it with telekinesis. Piper's eyes flashed dangerously, as she launched a stream of fire at her sisters. Prue quickly orbed while Phoebe dove to the ground. Piper, feeling frustrated by all of this, decided to use her own powers. She flicked her wrist at Phoebe. Phoebe quickly levitated, managing to avoid the blast, but unable to escape Piper's telekinetic throw. Phoebe sailed through the air and crashed through the wall, unconscious.  
  
An anthame materialized in Piper's hand, and she flung it at her unconscious sister. However, the anthame never reached her target, as Prue hurled it back towards Piper. Piper didn't expect this, and was too slow to evade the dagger. The anthame hit her directly in the chest, knocking her unto the floor. Piper grimaced in pain, before yanking the dagger out swiftly. The wound immediately sealed.  
  
"Wouldn't be the first time you tried to kill me," she said monotonously, indicating the time when Prue almost killed her to vanquish Terra.  
  
"Piper, please. I don't want to hurt you," Prue pleaded.  
  
"You. Hurt me. yeah right Prue. You think you're the most powerful, huh. Well, guess again. I can kill you easily. Don't forget that. I'm just toying with you. I'm more powerful than you can ever imagine. I took over the underworld single-handedly. I can easily take over your world too," Piper threatened.  
  
"Piper, I don't care who's more powerful. I just care about your well-being. Please, don't fight me Piper."  
  
"Join me then, and I'll forget about this incident."  
  
"You know I can't."  
  
"You can't, or won't," Piper spat furiously.  
  
"Piper."  
  
"Shut up! Prue, just shut the f*ck up. I don't want to hear anymore," Piper snapped, a darklighter crossbow materializing in her hand. "Die."  
  
Piper flicked her wrist to freeze her sister, but Prue deflected the freeze, causing the entire kitchen counter to turn into a block of ice.  
  
"Try catching this," Piper stated, firing a darklighter arrow at Prue. Prue orbed, only to have Piper pull her down with an invisible force. "Where do you think you're going?" Piper taunted.  
  
"Piper, don't do this."  
  
Prue's words seem to have no effect on Piper, as Piper shot another darklighter arrow at Prue. Prue astral projected behind Piper and slammed a chair over her head. The chair split into pieces, while Piper collapsed onto the floor. Blood trickled down her temple, staining the kitchen tile. Piper was still a bit groggy as her gash began to seal. Prue had pinned her down however, and was in the process of forcing a power stripping potion down Piper's throat. Piper jerked her head sharply, before flinging Prue off with telekinesis. She shimmered behind the kitchen table, and destroyed all the potions with a fireball.  
  
"I'll be back." She shimmered. 


	19. Left With No Choice

CORRUPTED

piper&leofan1: Well, I was thinking that Prue fell onto the ground when she astral projected, so the arrow missed her. Thanks for the review.

Caren: I appreciate your review, thanks. Um… I have no clue. I'm sort of just making it up as I go along. Is Piper going to die? Not likely… perhaps in the end, but definitely not now.

WAnNaBpIpEr: Ah yes, thank you so much. You're always reviewing, and it provides me with the inspiration I need to continue. Thanks. (I haven't killed THAT many people yet. Just you wait and see… haha)

Trunks Ichijouji: Thanks for the support!

Piperperson and piper 13: You guys are wonderful. Thanks for always reviewing. I really appreciate all the support you've shown. 

Chapter 19

-Manor-

Prue frantically flung the planks off wood of Phoebe using telekinesis. The moment the debris was cleared away, Prue knelt down next to her fallen sister and began to heal the crash injuries. Gradually, the blood began to disappear, as the colour returned to Phoebe's face. Prue smiled in relief when her baby sister sat up, grumbling about the need to fix the wall yet again. 

"Where's Piper?" Phoebe asked, still a bit dazed.

"She left about a minute ago," Prue said dejectedly.

Phoebe sighed. "It looks like she's evil for good…"

"Don't say that, Phoebe. You know full well that she stalled all this time so that she wouldn't have to kill us."

"I know, Prue. I just don't know what to do anymore. You're a pacifist, you can't do anything, which means that I will have to be the one to fight Piper. I can't do that Prue. She's my older sister. Piper never gave up on me… and I don't want to give up on her… but what choice do I have? The entire side of good is in danger. As a Charmed One, I have a destiny to fulfill. I have a duty. But I can't kill my sister. The Source of all evil I can handle. But I can't kill my sister. I know that Piper's not pure evil. But if she were, I could kill her. She's not though… Prue, I've already lost both of my sisters… I can't lose another sister. Especially not Piper. I don't think I can deal with that… Prue, what do I do?" Phoebe muttered frustratingly, turning to look at her oldest sister for support. 

"You can't lose her Phoebe. You'll lose yourself in the process. I know you're still holding on for Piper. I'm not going to let you kill her. They can't interfere with anything. I'll make sure of that. We'll turn her back. Don't worry," Prue said reassuringly.

-Underworld-

"The majority of the politicians, lawyers, and police are under the influence of evil, your majesty."

"Great. We go after the president next. That should be rather simple. When we complete that, we move on with the plan," Piper said smoothly, pleased that her plan was proceeding so well. The Charmed One might get in her way though… especially now that she has a whitelighter. The gentle Piper inside of her weakens with every day. Soon, she will be suppressed, and slaughtering the Charmed One will be easier than breathing. Up until now, Piper knows that she's holding back. Every time she moves in for a vanquish, something held her back, preventing her from killing her sisters. No, not her sisters. Phoebe and Prue have made that point clear. Her nemesis. 

-Manor-

Prue orbed in with a frown on her face. "The Elders have detected a great deal of evil activity up here. It's not subtle anymore… we're talking evil politicians."

"Why in the world are they getting people in power? What is it that the Underworld wants?"

"This is so cliché, but my guess is that the Underworld is thinking of taking over the world. Literally. And what better way to get to the population than corrupt the leaders?" Prue stated.

"Very true, very true. I guess that's why we leave all the thinking to you. It's too bad that Paige never got the chance to know you," Phoebe said solemnly.

Prue smiled sadly and nodded in agreement. "I wish that I could have met Paige too…" she murmured, before reaching over and giving Phoebe a warm hug. 

"I miss her so much Prue…" Phoebe broke down, sobbing quietly into Prue's shirt. 

"I've got you Phoebe. I've got you." No sooner were the words out of Prue's mouth, she head a jingling sound. She groaned angrily. "I've got to go for a sec, Pheebs," she whispered, as she kissed her baby sister on the forehead. 

-Up There-

"What do you want?" Prue growled. 

"We need to inform you about the latest events, Prudence." 

"Couldn't you have done it some other time?" She snapped.

"It appears to us that you are neglecting your whitelighter duties for your sister. Keep this behaviour going, and we will find another whitelighter for the Charmed One."

"Whatever. I'm not even going to argue with you. You know that Phoebe needs help, and you know I'm the best person for this job. You're not going to risk losing. Piper could easily come after you and you know it."

"Some other time, Prudence. Please, it is urgent. The Source has completely taken over. People may not realize this, but witches are already in danger. We detect that the Source is in the process of starting another witch trial."

"Shit, this is serious…"

"Watch your language, Prudence. And yes, this is serious. But the Charmed One could stop this."

"I'm not going to let my sister kill my other sister."

"You have no choice."

"There's always a choice," Prue said defiantly. 

"No, not in this situation. You must find a way to eliminate the Source of all evil. The entire future of good depends on it."

-Source's Chamber, Underworld-

"Why not go after witches ourselves?" A demon asked.

"I'm not saying you can't. I just think that it'll be easier to vanquish the witches this way. Most of them have morals. They will not go about hurting the humans. You guys… they'd be willing to vanquish without a second thought. So if you want to kill witches, by all means, go for it. I'm not responsible for your life, until you piss me off anyways."

The demon took the hint and shimmered out of the Source's chambers. 

"Why do I have to work with such idiots?" Piper muttered. "No wonder they could never defeat us."

-Manor-

"Great. We're screwed."

"Don't say that, Phoebe."

"Why not? Piper's evil. She's killing witches. They want me to kill her, don't they?"

"I told them to stuff it."

"Prue, you and I both know that we can't be so selfish… how many people are going to lose their lives if Piper continues to rule the Underworld? It's killing me, but I know what I have to do."


	20. Memories

CORRUPTED

Note: I PASSED MY ROAD TEST!!! Okay, sorry. I'm just VERY excited about that. 

Whoa… I was just looking at what I wrote the last chapter, and I saw all these weird symbols in place of where the quotation marks should be. Does anyone know how to fix it? 

Wanabepiper: You haven't seen SICKO yet… haha. Thanks for the review!

Piperperson: Damn, I could just hug you. You're always so fast to review. Thanks so much for the support.

Charmed Fanatic: Oh my god… that's the longest review I have ever seen. You have no idea how much it means to me, to know that someone is willing to spend so much time on a review to comment on my writing. Thank you so much. 

Chapter 20

-Manor-

Inspector Morris frowned when Prue filled him in on the latest events. True, he had noticed something different about the SFPD when he got back from vacation, but he never expected something like this. 

"So, you're saying that we're dealing with a modern day witch trial?" He asked incredulously, somewhat doubting the information. 

"Pretty much so. Except that this is definitely going to be much worse than Salem, that's for sure," Phoebe stated.

"How did this happen?" Darryl asked.

"Piper picked up my demonic powers after Paige stripped me of them. And after Prue's death, it's pretty reasonable to say that Piper's the most powerful good witch out there. The evil power just made her stronger," Cole explained as he walked into the manor.

"Cole!" Phoebe cried in surprise, feeling her anger rise. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help, Phoebe. No offence, but the Power of Three couldn't vanquish me. Now that you're left with the power of one, your odds of vanquishing the Source is pretty much nonexistent. Don't forget, she's also a Charmed One."

"Well, I wonder how she got those powers in the first place!" Phoebe retorted agitatedly.

"I had no choice. I was afraid I might hurt someone by accident. I had to get rid of those powers. I just had no idea Piper would walk in right then," Cole said calmly.

"Don't make excuses for yourself, Cole."

"It wasn't me who suggested anyways. It was Paige."

"Alright, you two, knock it off. We have more important issues to deal with at the current moment. You can argue after this catastrophe is resolved," Prue said firmly.

"Whoa… since when did you turn into the middle sister?" Phoebe prodded with a laugh.

"Since you guys forced me to. But seriously, Cole's right. Piper's too powerful for you to take down alone. You're going to need all the help you can get," Prue rationalized.

"Great. We are such a screwed up team. We've got a witch with pathetic powers, an ex-demon, a dead person, and a cop."

"Don't think so pessimistically, Phoebe. We've handled lots of hopeless situations before…" Prue said encouragingly.

"Yeah, against other demons. Not against our own sister."

-Underworld-

"I'm glad to see that the plan is going so smoothly. At the rate witches are being killed off, we'll be able to dominate from above in less than a week," Piper announced to the demonic creatures of the Underworld. "No one can stop us now."

_'No one but the Charmed One…' _Piper thought, knowing full well that her sisters were plotting against her. She really wished that they could see from her point of view. That way, it will prevent further complications from occurring, and she would not have to kill them. Paige's death affected her dramatically. It is difficult to concentrate on destroying good. Something seemed to keep holding her back, preventing her from physically hurting someone. The feeling becomes weaker and weaker as the days go on, but it is still there. Nevertheless, Piper had come too far to lose everything due to some underlying compassion. She may not be able to take out her sisters now, but who says that she cannot a week from now? By then, the Underworld would, no, WILL be unstoppable. And she, Piper Halliwell, would have accomplished what no other evil could throughout the history of time. Killing her sisters could wait though. She has another plan in mind.

-Attic, Manor-

Prue flipped through the Book of Shadows, scanning each page carefully. None of the spells and potions used had managed to strip Piper of her demonic powers. Even though Piper seemed to be weakening, the evil powers are still inside of her. Prue did not wish to vanquish her younger sister, but if all else fails, she has no choice but to do so. The Elders have already started to push Prue into destroying Piper, telling her that Piper had no chances of becoming good again. Too many witches and innocents have died already. Too many family broken apart. All because of one person. Prue knew that she could stall no longer than necessary, for the Elders have estimated that Evil will rein in less than six days. 

All these lives… all the loss… just because she couldn't kill her own sister. What about some helpless infant without a mother? What about other sisters who lost their own siblings? No, she cannot be so selfish. 

"Prue, it's no use. Piper probably countered every single spell and potion already. For some reason, she is still able to touch the Book of Shadows. I'm certain that she didn't leave it alone after all these times. She is always one step ahead of us," Phoebe protested, throwing her pen down in frustration.

Darryl and Cole looked grim, for even they know that the situation seemed hopeless. 

"You got that right, Pheebs," Piper said coldly as she shimmered into the attic. "It's hopeless. Just give up, and I will spare your lives."

"We're not going down without a fight," Phoebe replied defiantly. 

"Your choice. Except that this time, I will not hesitate to kill you."

Prue narrowed her eyes to force a telekinetic blast at Piper, but Piper was too quick for her. Piper shimmered behind Prue and shot a darklighter arrow into Prue's stomach. Prue looked at Piper sorrowfully, with tears running down her face. She wasn't crying because of the pain. No, Prue never cried because of physical injuries, no matter how excruciating it is. Prue is crying because the sister she loved most just tried to kill her with her own hands. No words were spoken between the two of them, as they stared into each others eye intensely. Piper could feel the compassion and love pour right out of Prue's gaze, and she felt her own icy eyes melt. Something wet ran down her cheeks. What was that? Tears! She was actually crying… 

Phoebe stared in shock when Piper impaled Prue with the darkligher arrow. No! She cannot lose her sister just when she got her back. Not again. Phoebe loved all her sisters, especially Piper. But Piper has hurt Phoebe more than Phoebe could handle. Piper took away every single one of Phoebe's few remaining loved ones without second though. 

Screaming in rage, Phoebe dove for Darryl's gun and yanked it out of the holster. Before anyone could stop her, Phoebe fired a shot at Piper. 

Piper felt a sharp pain from her stomach. She glanced down and saw her bloodied hands and shirt. A slight wave of nausea caused her to fall forwards onto Prue, who caught her in open arms. Prue's hands were now, stained with blood, just like what happened when the crazy witch wannabe shot Piper a few years ago. 

"Prue…" Piper whispered, feeling a slight smile tug at the corner of her lips. Unfortunately, this touching moment was brought to an abrupt end when Piper's wound sealed. Her eyes, growing emotionless once again. Without another word, Piper shimmered out. 

Prue then, collapsed and slumped into unconsciousness. Death was near.


	21. Road to Success

CORRUPTED

Note: Thanks for the reviews.

Chapter 21

-Attic, Manor-

"Prue! Prue! Dammit, wake up!" Phoebe cried in frustration, shaking her sister frantically in hopes of seeing Prue's midnight blue eyes. "Prue! Please, don't leave me. Wake up… I need you, Prue! Prue!" Phoebe continued to sob hysterically, ignoring Darryl's attempts to pull her away. 

Cole sighed dejectedly, and pulled the Darklighter arrow out swiftly. He and Darryl proceeded to apply pressure onto the wound. After being a demon for over a century, Cole knew that Prue had no chances of survival. 

Prue felt the throbbing pain work its way up her stomach and all over her body. Her blood spilled freely from severed veins, as the poison continued to overpower her. Each breath came out raspy, as Prue fought to inhale oxygen into her lungs. Her limbs hang weakly… limply. Prue knew her time was up. It didn't seem fair – she barely got time to spend with her sisters, and now, she is going to die for good. She never got to spend time with her gentle Piper. No, the only time they encountered resulted in disaster, with one side trying to kill the other. 

"Ph-ph-phoebe…" Prue managed to whisper.

"Prue?" Came the choked reply.

"Don't… don't… lose Piper… p-p-please…" Prue gasped breathlessly, before succumbing to another coughing fit.

"Prue! You can't die on me! NO… Not again! Prue! We were going to have a second chance at life together! No, you can't leave me here all alone. Please… Prue! Prue!"

"You've… still got P-p-piper…"

"Actually, you've still got me too. But you're going to get Prue too."

Phoebe jerked her head up in surprise. "Paige??" She gasped incredulously. "Oh my god… what are you doing here?" 

"Well, saving Prue, so scoot over," Paige said warmly, as she laid her hands over Prue's injury. The warm amber glow appeared, and Prue's wound began to seal itself. "It's great to finally meet you, Prue."

Prue sat up slowly, and smiled gently, before embracing both her sisters. "It's great to meet you too, Paige."

"You're alive!" Phoebe cried happily, feeling like the luckiest person in the world. Both her sisters are with her now, and she's safe inside Prue's arms. It would have been perfect if… perfect if Piper was here…

"Yeah, the Elders sent me down here as a Whitelighter. So guess what, Pheebs, you've got two Whitelighters now. Pretty damn special, huh?"

"Screw how many Whitelighters I have. You have no idea what it's like to hold you guys again. I thought you were dead! I thought I'd lost you forever. What I wouldn't give for all of us to be together again…" Phoebe said solemnly.

"Hey, we're going to get her back," Paige stated firmly.

"Paige, we've already tried everything. Every single spell, potion… no success. She's too powerful! Not to mention she's already countered every single thing we throw at her."

"Which is why you need to think outside of the box."

-Underworld-

"Four more days. Won't be long now. We're closer than ever before," Piper broadcasted to the demonic population of the Underworld. "And since we're progressing so well, it would be a shame to encounter the Charmed One right now."

"How are we going to deal with them, my Queen?"

"Simple. Capture me a Whitelighter, and we invade up there. The Elders are too selfish to worry about the witches when their own lives are at stake. They will insist on the protection of the Charmed One. Terminating the rest of the witches will be so much faster." Piper summoned a Darkligher, and sent him off to the task.

"Now, for a little visit to the other witches."

-Witch Trial Prisons-

Piper shimmered in to the prisons, provoking an uproar amongst the captured witches.

"Good evening."

"Traitor!" An angry witch shouted.

"Ah, you know who I am," Piper stated mockingly and turned to face the witch.

"You were a Charmed One. Prophesized to protect the world from evil, instead, you turn on your own kind!" She spat angrily.

"You've been doing research."

By now, the witches were already whispering amongst themselves, about their recent discovery.

"A Charmed One? Not possible!"

"Who's going to save us now…"

"We're going to die!"

"Good will always triumph over Evil," the witch said defiantly. 

"Really, let's see about that," Piper snapped through gritted teeth, launching a large, yet low powered fireball at the witch. The witch convulsed under the intense heat, shrieking in pain. The witch's howling grew more intense as Piper increased the heat. "You are definitely on the winning side," Piper said sarcastically, before killing the witch with a final heat wave.

The other witches grew silent, their fear so great, Piper could feel it. But it only caused Piper to feel more confident and powerful. She enjoyed this feeling – provoking fear in others. It felt good. It felt… natural. _'NO! I can't. I'm a good witch…'_ a faint little voice in her head said. The effort was futile. _'I'm too strong now. The Evil power… the softness in her will not last for another day…'_

"Traitor! You will burn in hell!" Another witch shouted.

"I'm already in hell," Piper replied evenly, before vanquishing every single witch in the prison. 

"Looks like you have been found guilty without a trial."

-Manor-

"We are too slow… Piper's already killed hundreds of witches. By the rate she's going, there's not going to be anyone left in three days," Darryl informed the group of his findings after sneaking into the files with Cole.

"Not Piper, Darryl. The Source. Piper's not the one behind all of this. The Source is," Prue stated firmly.

"See, this is the problem," Cole interjected. "You guys are too wrapped up thinking about your sister while the world is dying out there. You've got no choice. I've seen what those powers could do, heck, I've experienced them. With Piper as a former Charmed One, you've got to put all your efforts in defeating her. You can't go soft. Not now." Despite all this, the Halliwells could see the pain in Cole's eyes. Piper was like a sister to him as well – she had been the most understanding back then about his and Phoebe's relationship. Nevertheless, he was a former demon. He knew how dangerous and corruptive power can be. Cole despised defeat, but he knew that this time, they cannot win Piper back. 


	22. A Step Away

CORRUPTED

Note: Sorry… I was away on a vacation. Wow… all those reviews are definitely encouraging. Thank you so much.

wAnAbE pIpEr: as usual, you're one of the first to review. I thank you with all my heart. And oh yeah, it's alright. Your dedication to my story has already touched me. I hate it when things get deleted… especially if I've typed a lot and all. 

Piper Halliwell-Turner: Who says I'm killing Piper off??? =) Yet. She might die, she might not. Who knows? I personally don't. Thanks for the review.

Charmed Fanatic: I really appreciate all the thought and effort you put into the reviews! 

Piperperson: another great reviewer. Thanks.

Sweetone41185: I appreciate the support. As for why Leo's dead – he was a Whitelighter who died from Darklighter poison. Prue and Paige are back as Whitelighters. Does that make sense? And yeah, Paige has powers too.

Piper132: I hope you had a great vacation! Thanks for the review.

Trunks Ichijouji: Hey, you're not the only one who doesn't know what I'm going to do next. I don't know what I'm going to do next! Thanks so much for the review! 

Chapter 22

-Manor-

The sisters were silent for a brief moment, before Prue let out a sigh. 

"Yeah, you're right. We've been selfish. Too many people have already died… too many… this can't go on. I'm all for bringing Piper back, but when push comes to shove, we have to do it…" Prue muttered, even though the decision to vanquish her little sister is killing her on the inside. _'Forgive me, Piper… I know you would forgive me.'_

Darryl looked grim, and Cole nodded sympathetically. 

"Okay. What do you propose we do?" Darryl asked.

"First, we find whatever witches are left, and hide them. Phoebe, Paige, you guys work on spells and potions. We're going to see if we can fight the _Source_ on our own turf. We've got to be ready," Prue stated, taking the lead once again.

The others nodded in agreement, and Phoebe and Paige left to get started on the spells and potions. 

"You sure you're up to this?" Cole asked Prue worriedly.

"I don't have a choice."

-Underworld-

"Some of the witches that we have been tracking have disappeared from our radars," a demon informed Piper.

"Resistance. I pretty much assumed that the witches would start taking action. And I'm pretty sure I know who the leader is…"

"My queen?" The demon asked confused.

"Speed up the witch trials. Torture is fun, but our arrogance will be our downfall. Scratch that. Kill the witches the moment you see one. We don't have time to waste. If the Charmed One is recruiting witches or protecting them, we've got to eliminate as many as we can."

"Consider it done."

"Excellent."

"My queen," another voice spoke up. 

"Darklighter. Where's the Whitelighter?"

"I am unable to find any, my queen. The Elders have called all the Whitelighters up there. The Charmed One's sisters are the only Whitelighters left down here."

Piper frowned. Things are not going smoothly at all. But then again, she had a pretty good idea good would figure things out. Though it was much quicker than she had anticipated, things could still go according to plan if she proceeds carefully. 

"Fine. Leave that task up to me. The Whitelighters are too powerful for you to take on. Be ready to take in the power, Darklighter. Since it's going to be difficult to kill them, I suppose some Whitelighter blood and a spell should work," Piper reasoned. "And you," she commanded the demon, "You get things speeded up."

-Manor-

"Alright. We've got fourteen witches in here. Cole and Darryl are out again, trying to find more," Prue stated as she orbed in. "How are the spells and potion going?"

"Pretty good. We've got twenty-seven offensive potions, and nineteen defensive potions. There's a protection spell around the manor. We've also got tons of spell written down," Phoebe replied. 

"Okay. The Source has probably figured out what's going on by now. We need to be extra cautious. She could attack anytime," Prue cautioned.

"Damn, you are good, Prue," Piper said evenly as she shimmered in the attic.

Paige flung a potion at Piper, but Piper incinerated it with an energy ball. 

"Relax. I'm not here to steal your new coven of witches. I'm just here for some Whitelighter blood," Piper explained as she shot Prue with a Darklighter arrow.

Prue grimaced and crumpled to the ground. Phoebe and Paige rushed towards their fallen sister, hoping to remove the arrow to prevent the poison from spreading. 

"Darklighter!" Piper ordered, as the Darklighter smoked in. Piper approached the Book of Shadows, but suddenly, a shield went up, knocking Piper back a few feet. The triquetra glowed. "What the hell?"

By then, Prue had been healed, and she used telekinesis to fling Piper into the stain glass windows. Piper's body shattered the coloured glass upon impact, and crashed to the ground heavily. The Darklighter quickly picked up the arrow and smoked out. The sisters raced towards the broken window, but Piper was nowhere to be found.

"What the hell just happened?" Paige asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"I think that the book recognizes her as evil now…" Phoebe muttered.

"But not before. She could still use it before," Prue countered.

"I think it's because you're here, Paige. The Power of Three has been reconstituted again. Except that Piper's not a part of it…" Prue rationalized. 

"You think?" Phoebe questioned.

"I've got no other explanation."

-Underworld-

"Okay… that is one mistake I definitely won't make again. I'm so damn powerful. Why the hell would I need the Book of Shadows?"

"My queen, the Whitelighter blood."

"Excellent job, Darklighter," Piper commented. 

"But we failed to find a spell."

"I don't need a spell from the Book of Shadows. The Whitelighter blood will do."

Minutes later, Piper had concocted a potion with Prue's blood in it. "Here, drink this," she demanded the Darklighter. 

-Up There-

The Darklighter orbed himself and Piper up there, each armed with Darklighter poison. The moment they arrived, they stealthily made way towards their targets. 

Piper led the way, firing an arrow at the first Whitelighter they saw. The Whitelighters had no chance, for with Piper's powers and the Darklighter's poison, they were soon defeated. No more than a handful escaped. 

"What a rush," the Darklighter cried enthusiastically. 

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. Now, for a bigger challenge. The Elders."

-Manor-

Prue and Paige grimaced slightly, as the pains of other fellow Whitelighters enveloped them. Six Whitelighters suddenly orbed in. 

"Prudence, Paige. We've been attacked. The Elders are in trouble."

"What? How?"

"The Source, she's up there. We were massacred… didn't even stand a chance. She's too strong. The Elders are trapped up there."

"Alright. Phoebe, stay in here. Paige and I will go up and investigate."

"Prudence," a Whitelighter said.

"What?"

"The Elders have a message for you. They want you to vanquish the Source."


	23. Death

CORRUPTED

Note: 

Starring Piper: Thanks, I really appreciate your reviews. By the way, I love your stories.

Charmed Fanatic: Looks like the ending might not be so happy after all… I'm sorry. Thank you so much for the support you've given me.

Piper132: Thanks so much for the review. I'm glad you enjoy the story.

Chapter 23

-Up There, in "Elderland"-

Prue sidestepped a fallen Whitelighter's body, feeling a twinge of anger. How could her sweet middle sister do all of this? She frowned in disgust as she accidentally stepped into a puddle of cold, sticky blood. The once beautiful and peaceful heaven was now literally hell – the deaths, evoking a somber atmosphere. How could Piper destroy all the goodness? Life was so full up here, so breathtaking… now, it's all gone. All because Prue held back. Held back from hurting and killing the most evil being of all times, her sister. 

The eerie silence and the violent image left Paige with an ill feeling. Glancing at Prue warily, Paige knew that her oldest sister was feeling the same thing she was – Prue just wasn't showing it in her face. Her midnight blue eyes gave it away though. All the anger, all the dismay, and all the fear, evident in the portal known as the "window to the soul". How could Piper do this?

Finally reaching the Elders' chambers, Prue looked at Paige with an unreadable expression, then gently pushed open the door. Like the route before them, this room was littered with lifeless corpses. Their white robes, now stained red; their faces, twisted in agony. Tears welled up in Paige's eyes, while anger blazed in Prue's. 

"We have to stop her," Prue stated firmly, with no trace of emotion in her voice. 

-Manor-

Phoebe plugged another vial of potion and stretched to relieve her backache. She had been sitting here finishing the final touches to Prue's plan. They were going to summon her and get offensive. Now all Phoebe has to do is await Prue and Paige's arrival. 

A loud crash followed by screaming came from downstairs. Quickly abandoning everything, Phoebe raced down the stairs to investigate. The steps were covered with broken glass shards and split pieces of wood. More screaming and crashes could be heard in the living room, as Darryl suddenly flew through the wooden walls and landed by Phoebe. 

"Darryl? What's going on?" Phoebe asked in surprise.

"It's… Piper," he groaned, gently pressing against an open wound on his stomach. "Go… help the other witches."

Phoebe hesitantly left Darryl and rushed into the living room. She stared in shock at the lifeless corpses, and the dying witches. Cole was on the ground, writhing in pain. 

An energy ball appeared in Piper's hand, and she launched it towards Cole. Her aim was thrown off when Phoebe levitated and kicked her hand away with a powerful blow. The energy ball went wild and vanquished the front doors. Piper face remained expressionless as she turned around to face Phoebe. 

"I'm not after you yet, so wait in line," Piper said with a voice so cold, it could practically freeze, which is exactly what happened. Piper held up her hands, and froze everyone on the spot except for Phoebe. 

"Unfreeze them, Piper. You don't want to kill them. They're no threat to you. You want me. So come and get me," Phoebe said evenly, though the fear in her voice was evident. She didn't want to go up against her sister, but she was left with no choice. 

Piper ignored Phoebe, and with a casual flick of the wrist, blew up everyone's limbs and unfroze them. 

The pain was immense – every witch screamed and twisted in agony. 

"You…" Phoebe struggled to find the appropriate word to suit such a cruel and heartless monster. With an anguished scream, she launched herself at Piper, kicking and punching the Source with everything she has.

Piper roughly shoved Phoebe off and flung a fireball at her. Phoebe ducked onto the ground, and threw a potion in Piper's direction. With controlled ease, Piper deflected the vial and stood up confidently. 

"Your efforts are futile. I'm invincible."

The comment failed to affect Phoebe, for now, she was no longer afraid. For all these people, she would fight. She would fight to end this slaughter – even if it means losing her life in the process. By now, there's no turning back.

Phoebe launched potion after potion, before pressing a physical attack. Piper did not stand idly, as she too, threw her own attacks. The two sisters dueled for separate causes. One for good; the other, for evil. Phoebe staggered slightly from her burn injury, but still remained upright. Piper waited momentarily for the scalded flesh on her face to heal. 

"Like I said, I'm invincible. I'm immune to death." A vicious looking blade materialized in Piper's hands, before she shimmered directly in front of Phoebe, and stabbed her younger sister in the heart. The blade pierced through Phoebe's vital organ, before embedding itself against the wall. Phoebe leaned against the wall, panting heavily. 

"You're, not immune t-t-to this…" Phoebe gasped out raspily, and began to chant a spell. 

_ Buried beneath the frost_

_ What was once there, lost_

_ Your true self, you shall see_

_ As you finally, return to me _

Piper thrusted the knife deeper, before her grip loosened and she collapsed to the ground, pulling the knife out of her sister. Phoebe collapsed heavily onto the ground, bleeding profusely. Suddenly, she felt warmth emerging from beneath the ice. What's going on? What did the witch do? _'You can't hurt her. You're good,'_ she thought. _ 'Not you again… I suppressed you!'_ Piper pressed angrily. _ 'Suppressed. Phoebe's right. You're not immune to love…' _

Piper held her head, her tormented expression was the only indication of her internal struggle. 

"Phoebe! Phoebe! Dammit, wake up!" Piper cried as she fell to her knees beside her sister. "What have I done?" She screamed in anguish. "Phoebe!"

"P-p-piper… I'm… so glad. You, you… re-remembered…," Phoebe whispered painfully, blood spilling out of the corner of her lips.

"No, please, Phoebe… don't do this to me," Piper cried frantically as she cradled her sister's sweaty head comfortingly. "Phoebe, hang in there."

"I love you…"

"Phoebe! No! Please. Say something! Phoebe, you can't do this… YOU CAN'T DO THIS. Phoebe. PHOEBE!!! WAKE UP!" Piper held onto her baby sister tightly, tears flowing freely onto her cheeks. 

Bluish white lights appeared as Prue and Paige orbed down.

"Phoebe!" Paige gasped out loud.

Prue's eyes widened at the sight of Phoebe's bloodied form. Furiously, she flung Piper away from her baby sister. Piper crashed heavily into the stain glass windows, causing a shower of shards to rain down upon her. 

"I'm sorry Prue," Piper choked out, before shimmering away.


	24. The End

CORRUPTED 

Note: Alright… last chapter! Whoa, this story sure is long! I've never written such a long story before! Well, I had a great time coming up with this story, and I really appreciate all the support and the reviews. Thank you so much. It's those encouragements that persuaded me to keep writing. Thank you.

- wanabepiper: Thank-you! I'm not a big fan of Buffy, so I have no clue as to what's up with all that Angel's death and stuff… yeah, I'm strictly a Charmed fan! Thanks for all your reviews!

- Revul Ylloh: Thanks for the review.

- piper132: I'm sorry to make it sad again… looks like I'm one of those sadistic writers who likes to kill everyone off. Thanks for all the reviews you've given me. 

- Piperperson: Thanks for always reviewing whenever I have a new chapter!

- Trunks Ichijouji: I really appreciate the review. Thanks. Ha, Piper does like killing, doesn't she?

- Starring Piper: I really appreciate the support you've shown me in the last few chapters. Thanks.

- Astral Master: Thanks for the review.

- Charmed Fanatic: Thank you so very much for always leaving such long reviews. You seriously spend so much time analyzing my stories, and I feel extremely flattered. Thanks. 

Chapter 24

-Underworld-

Piper staggered weakly, and collapsed on the hard ground painfully. The extreme agony arising from her tortured mind caused her face to be contorted into a grimace of pain. All the guilt from the anguished cries of dead innocents surfaced, drowning Piper into a deep ocean of intense suffering. The scene of Phoebe's death kept repeating in her mind, driving her to a fit of insanity. She just killed her baby sister! In her entire life, Piper could never dream of hurting Phoebe… yet, she had just killed Phoebe with her own hands. And worse, the evil in her enjoyed every last second of Phoebe's struggle for survival. Try as she might, Piper just cannot escape the image of her sister's dead body. 

_'What have I done?'_ Piper thought enraged at her own actions. Until now, she hadn't even paused to reflect on the thousands of deaths she caused within the past week. The slaughter… all her doing… she was good! How could she have done such a thing? The mere thought of her sadistic side disgusted Piper to no end. All these years of saving innocents did not compare to the amount of deaths she caused. Giving life is harder than taking life… 

Piper knows that it's too late for redemption. No one will ever accept her for good again. She alone brought the Underworld to its greatest reign – on the cost of thousands of lives… 

No, Phoebe messed with her mind! She's evil. Just one more step away to ruling the world. She can't give it up now!

With every ounce of energy the good Piper possessed, she fought the evil. _'I must fix this!'_ But the struggling evil made this task impossible, for to control time takes a great deal of power. Finally, deciding that her efforts were futile, Piper decided to use the evil's destructive nature to her advantage. She didn't waste anymore time, and created a shield to prevent any demons from escaping. Piper knew she has no rights to a life after her evil deeds – she might as well take down as much evil as possible. 

Furiously, Piper attacked every demon, warlock, Darklighter, gremlin… in her sight. They didn't stand a chance, as her intense fury fueled her, giving her immense power. Those above were safe from the assault, but there weren't even a dozen of them left. 

Piper fell to her knees, exhausted. Still, she stands. Every wound inflicted healed. 

She screamed in agony from all the pain she has caused.

-Manor-

"When I get my hands on her, I'll kill her so slowly, that she'll be able to experience all the pain she's caused so many people!" One witched shouted furiously after Prue healed her. 

Prue did not respond, for she too was grieving over her baby sister. 

A shimmering figure interrupted everyone, as Piper shimmered in.

"You!" The witches cried in rage, as one of them threw an anthame into her chest. Piper calmly pulled the dagger out, and dropped it onto the ground unceremoniously. 

"Here, let me help you," she stated evenly, before using telekinesis to bring the power stripping potion to her. Tossing the cork on the ground, Piper drank the potion in one gulp. Like Cole, she fell onto the ground, crying in pain.

Prue and Paige watched the scene, confused at Piper's actions. 

"Die! You murderer!" Someone shouted, as she plunged an anthame into Piper's heart. The same anthame Piper killed Phoebe with… 

As the evil powers left her, so did her power of invincibility. 

The witch removed the knife and proceeded to plunge down again, but was stopped by Prue.

"What are you doing?!? She must pay for what she did to my family! And to all the other families!"

Prue ignored the witch's outburst, and knelt down next to Piper. Holding her hands out, she waited for the soft, warm, amber glow to appear. It didn't. 

"Don't bother, Prue…" Piper gasped out, gripping her sister's hand gently.

"Piper…" Prue choked out.

"I'm… sorry…"

Prue kissed her sister's hand gently.

"I-I-I… want… to die… good… But no matter… no matter how… how many demons I've… k-k-killed… I can never… wash away… all the evil… evil I've done…" Piper managed to whisper, as blood flowed unceasingly out of the corner of her mouth. 

Prue ignored the growing puddle Piper now lay in, and soothingly whispered, "Piper, you are good. Believe in yourself. It wasn't you. You will never do anything like that! You're good Piper."

"A… good, good person, wouldn't… wouldn't kill…"

"No. It wasn't you! Piper, hang on! Don't leave me!"

"Prue… I-I-I… don't want… to die… evil…"

"You're not," Prue stated firmly.

"No one… else thinks… so."

"No! They do! Don't you?" Prue shouted anxiously at the other witches.

"She murdered my family!"

"She's as evil as evil goes!"

"The devil's spawn!"

"EVIL!"

"Shut up!" Prue yelled in frustration, cradling Piper closer to her.

"I… love you… Prue… I'm sorry…" Piper whispered weakly, a tear trickling down her face, as her last breath left her.

"NO!!! Piper! Piper! Piper!!!" Prue cried hysterically, tears streaming down her cheeks. Taking a deep breath, Prue shakily kissed Piper on the forehead, before closing her sister's eyes. 

-One week later-

Prue stared blankly at the tombstones before her. The death of the Charmed One caused great grief among all witches, but no one mourned for the Source. Despite all the good she's down for the past few years, everyone remembered her as the evil leader who destroyed without a conscience. 

The government is in turmoil; the world, chaotic. A handful of good witches and a handful of demons survived, both sides ready to fight for the future. 

Piper's funeral was small and simple, with only herself and Paige present. In one day, she lost both her sisters… One died a hero. The other, a traitor. Piper deserved to die a hero. But no one else could see that. No one else mourned for the greatest good witch of all. She was merely a puppet of the evil that controlled her… but no one is willing to accept that. 

"You are good, Piper," Prue whispered, as she set down a single white rose on the tombstone. 

-THE END- 


End file.
